A quick-thinking deputy in Utah punched through a frozen pond in Utah to rescue a drowning 8-year-old boy.

The boy was chasing his dog Monday night when another child saw him fall through the ice in the town of New Harmony, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

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Sgt. Aaron Thompson was the first emergency responder to arrive on the scene, and made a "personal decision" to attempt to reach the child without any equipment, according to the the Gephardt Daily.

The scene of Monday night's dramatic rescue in Utah. (Washington County Sheriff's Offi)

He "used his arms to punch through the ice, creating a pathway to the victim," the sheriff said in a press release, according to the Gephardt Daily. "Thompson was able to locate the victim under the ice and bring him back to shore where awaiting medical personnel began treating him."

The boy was airlifted to a nearby hospital, but his condition has not been released.

Sgt. Thompson was hospitalized with cuts and bruises and symptoms of hypothermia.